Feed tray for duplicating machines



Oct. 21, 1958 H. P. KElL FEED TRAY FOR DUPL-ICATING MACHINES Filed Dec. 31, 1951 Q J 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 55 INVENTOR.

.Jenry P /(eiZ BY Me a Atty.

Oct. 21, 1958 H, P, KElL- FEED TRAY FOR DUPLICATING MACHINES Filed 1m. 31, 1951 B Sheets-Sheet s IN VEN TOR.

Henry F [Yer] mded Atty United States Patent FEED TRAY FOR DUPLICATING MACHINES Henry P. Keil, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Fixture Hardware Corporation, Chicago, 11]., a corporation of Illinois Application December 31, 1951, Serial No. 264,324

11 Claims. (Cl. 271-61) My invention relates to improvement in a feed tray for duplicating machines.

It is the principal object of my invention to provide an improved copy sheet feed tray with means to hold a stack of copy sheets in such a manner as to grasp the top sheet most firmly, the grasping means being quickly and easily released for replacement of the copy sheet supply.

Another object of my invention is to provide a novel mechanism by which side guides for a stack of copy sheets on the feed tray are secured in operative position against the side edges of the stack, and quickly freed for replacement of the supply whenever necessary.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved feed tray and side guide for duplicating machines in combination with sheet feeding rollers wherein the side guides may be moved to various positions and held there without the use of springs beneath the tray, the tray having means to protect the sheet feeding rollers and the tray from the wearing action of-the sheet feeding mechanism in the event that the sheet feeding mechanism continues to operate after all the copy sheets have been removed from the tray.

The nature and advantages of my invention will appear more fully from the following description and the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred form of the invention is shown. It should be understood, however, that the description and drawings are illustrative only and are not to be considered as limiting the invention except insofar as it is limited by the claims which particularly point out the novel features.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a plan view of a duplicating machine embodying my improved feed tray;

Figure 2 is an enlarged plan view of a portion of the feed tray;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view on an enlarged scale taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view on the line 5-5 of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary plan view of a portion of a side guide, showing the gripper mechanism for a stack of copy sheets in retracted position;

Figure 7 is a view in side elevation of the construction shown in Figure 6;

Figures 8 and 9 are sectional views taken on the line 8-8 of Figure 7, showing two positions of the gripper;

Figures 10 and 11 are sectional views similar to Figures 8 and 9, but showing a modified gripper construction; and

Figure 12 is a sectional view on the line 12-12 of Figure 11.

Referring now to the drawings and particularly to Figure 1, my invention is shown in connection with a duplicating machine wherein the numerals 10 and 11 indicate side frames of the machine. The drum of the machine is indicated at 12 and the feeding and moistening rollers are indicated at 13. A receiving tray 14 receives the copy sheets from the drum 12. A moistening liquid container 15 supplies the moistening liquid to the rollers 13. A copy sheet feed tray 16 is mounted on the side frames 10 and 11 in front of the rollers 13. A copy sheet feeding device for feeding sheets from the tray 16 to the rollers 13 comprises a feeding roller arm 17 which is pivoted on a rocker arm 18. The rocker arm 18 is pivotally mounted by a stub shaft 19 onthe side frame 10 and rocked by a link 20 and a lever arm 21 in timed relation to the rotation of the drum 12. The present invention is embodied in the copy sheet feed tray 16 and the mechanism thereon which positions a stack of copy sheets for engagement with the rollers carried by the arm 17 and it prevents the rollers from directly engaging the feed tray 16.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the feed tray 16 is provided with four transversely running slots 22, 23, 24 and 25. The slots 22 and 23 are aligned. This is also true of the slots 24 and 25. Each of the slots has an outer rearwardly extending recess at 26 and an inner forwardly extending recess at 27 in the side walls thereof. These slots and their associated recesses are adapted to receive the shanks 28 of guide pins that have upper heads 29 and lower heads 30. The guide pins also have their shanks extending through elongated slots 31 and 32 at the opposite ends of the two side guides 33 and 34. The side guides 33 and 34 consist of metal strips, each having a horizontal portion in which the slots 31 and 32 are formed and an upright portion which serves to confine a stack of copy sheets between the two side guides.

In the center forward portion of the feed tray, an e1ongated raised rib 35 is provided. This rib is positioned to underlie the arm 17 which carries two feed rollers 36 and 37. The feed rollers 36 and 37 are mounted in a head 117m of the arm 17 by means of a shaft 38 which is loosely mounted so as to have a certain amount of forward and rearward motion in its bearings. Guards 17b and 17c of the head 17a have ribs 17d thereon, illustrated in Figure 3, to check rotation of the feed rollers 36 and 37 when the arm 17 is moved in a direction to press the rolls against the ribs 17d. When the arm 17 is moved in the opposite direction, that is, away from the drum, the shaft 38 can slide in the head 17a enough to permit the feed rollers 36 and 37 to rotate. With this construction the rollers serve to advance copy sheets on the feed tray 16 but roll on the copy sheets whenever the copy sheets are seized by the feeding and moistening rollers 13 and pulled forward or whenever the arm 17 is moved away from the drum. The head 17a has a bottom portion 172 that rides upon the center rib 35 whenever the copy sheet supply is exhausted and seves to hold the rollers 36 and 37 out of contact with the surface of the copy sheet tray, thus eliminating wear on the rollers and on the tray in the event that the feed mechanism continues to operate after the supply of copy sheets is exhausted. The rib 35 being centrally located beneath the feed rollers, also tends to bow up the stack of copy sheets at the center.

The copy sheets must be held at the sides by the side guides 33 and 34 and it is preferably being gripped most tightly at the top of the stack. For this purpose each of the side guides 33 and 34 is provided with a gripper mechanism indicated generally by the numeral 40. The details of this gripper mechanism are shown most clearly in Figures 6 to 12 and will be described more in detail hereinafter. Each side guide can be moved from the position shown in full lines in Figure 2, to the dotted line position shown in this figure and may be stopped at any intermediate position. The full line position places the stems 28 of the headed securing pins in the outer recess 26 of the slots 22, 23, 24 and 25. This is the normal position of the side guides for holding copy sheets of the 3 standard 8 inch width. The dotted line position of the side guides places the stems 28 in the inner forward recess 27 of the slots 22, 23, 24 and 25. This is the normalposition of the side guides for handling card stock. It will be noted that 'the slots 22,'23,'24 and 25 project-endwise beyond the recess 26 and27 so that a side guide can be moved endwise and then laterally to shiftit from either one of the standard positions.

There are no yielding springs or other means on the stems 28 to cause them to bind in the slots of the feed tray. The side guides 33 and 34 are secured in any desired position by a novel mechanism that is carried entirely by the side guide and on top of the feed tray. This mechanism comprises a plate 41 that is secured to the underside of each side guide and that projects outwardly from the side guide a short distance. This plate is thin and is combined with a finger lever 42 so that the plate can be pressed against the feed tray to secure the side guide against movement. A pin 43 pivots the lever 42 and a spacer 44 spaces the lever 42 from the upright position of the side guide. As illustrated best in Figures 3 and 4, the lever 42 has a fiat bottom face 45 which extends down far enough when the lever is upright to exert pressure on the plate 41 and force the plate against the feed tray 16. The side guide is, of course, quite rigid because of the angular construction and the securing pins, which slidably mount the side guide to the feed tray, oppose upward movement of the side guide away from the feed tray. Therefore when the lever 42 is moved to upright position, it eifectively clamps the side guide in position Without exerting any force tending to displace the side guide on the feed tray. In this construction the side guides are held closely to the feed tray by the headed pins so that there is no chance for the side guides to tip away from the copy sheet stack.

Referring now to Figures 6 to 9 inclusive, these figures illustrate the mounting of the gripper units 40 on the side guides 33 and 34 and the way in which they operate. Each gripper unit comprises a metal stamping which is secured on the outside of the side guide in any suitable fashion. This stamping has a vertical wall 46 which is apertured at 47. Within the metal stamping a shoe 48 carries a sponge rubber block 49. The shoe 48 also carries a stem 50 that projects through the aperture 47. Within the stamping 40, a spring 51 surrounds the stem 50 and is held under compression between the shoe 48 and .a washer 52 that engages the vertical wall 46 of the metal stamping. Another washer 53 is fitted on the stem 50 outside the vertical wall 46 and it bridges the aperture 47. A finger lever 54 is pivoted on the outer end of the stem 50 and has a flat inner face 55 and flat sides 56 and 57. As illustrated in Figures 6 to 9 inclusive, when the lever 54 is in the position shown in Figures 6 and 8, it retracts the shoe 48 and the sponge block 49 so that the block 49 does not protrude beyond the inner face of the side guide 33. However, when the finger lever 54 is turned parallel to the side guide as shown in Figure 9, the spring 51 forces the shoe 48 and the block 49 inward so that the block 49 can engage a stack of copy sheets indicated at 58.

Figures 10, 11 and 12 of the drawings illustrate a modified form of side guide grippers. In these figures the gripper mechanism 40 utilizes a metal stamping similar to that in Figures 6 to 9. However, the shoe 48' base different type of stem on it. A headed stem 59 is provided and this stem has an annular groove 60 therein. A spring 51 fits between the shoe 48' and a flanged sleeve 61, the sleeve 61 having its flange 62 large enough to cover an aperture 63 in the metal stamping 40'. This aperture 63 as shown, is enlarged at the center portion so that the stem 59 is free to rock up and down in it and permit the'shoe 48' and the sponge rubber block 49' to assume the angular position shown in Figure 10. In order to lock the gripper shoe and block in retracted position, the operator pulls out on the stem 59 and moves 4 i it lengthwise of the side guide to bring the groove 60 into one ofthe narrow portions 64 of'the slot 63.

It is believed that the-nature and advantage of my improved feed tray will be apparent from the foregoing description. The subject matter of this application was originally disclosed in part in my prior application, Serial No. 726,502, filed February 5, 1947, for Duplicating Apparatus, Patent No. 2,594,179, in part in my application, Serial No. 760,538, filed July 12, 1947, for Duplicating Apparatus, Patent No. 2,597,804, and in part in my application, Serial No. 791,881, filed December 15, 1947, for Motor Driven Duplicating Machine, Patent No. 2,622,519.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a duplicating machine, a copy sheet feed tray, a sheet feeding member over said tray operable to advance copy sheets from a stack of sheets on the tray, side guides on the tray for engaging the side edges of copy sheets thereon, the tray having transverse slots therein and the guides having pins extending through the slots, said pins having heads thereon beneath the tray retaining said guides, a strip extending laterally outward from each guide and resting on the tray and manually operable means mounted on the guide above said strip for movement toward the strip to press the strip downward against the tray to lock the guide in place.

2. In a duplicating machine, a feed tray, side guides seated on the tray, sheet gripping members on said side guides, front and rear transverse elongated slots in said feed tray, front and rear elongated slots in the side guides extending lengthwise of said side guides, securing pins in each of the side guide slots having heads riding on the side guides, said pins having heads thereon bearing on the under face of the feed tray, whereby to keep the side guides from tipping on the tray, and releasable clamping means movably mounted on the outer side of each side guide, engaging the top surface only of the feed tray.

3. In a duplicating machine, a feed tray, side guides seated on the tray, sheet gripping members on said side guides, front and rear transverse elongated slots in said feed tray, front and rear elongated slots in the side guides extending lengthwise of said side guides, securing pins in each of the side guide slots having heads riding on the side guides, said pins having heads thereon hearing on the under face of the feed tray, whereby to keep the side guides from tipping on the tray, and releasable clamping means movably mounted on the outer side of each side guide, engaging the top surface only of the feed tray, the slots in the tray having lateral extensions all facing in one direction adjacent to their outer ends and lateral extensions all facing in the opposite direction adjacent to their inner ends.

4. In a duplicating machine, a feed tray, side guides seated on the tray, sheet gripping members on said side guides, front and rear transverse elongated slots in said feed tray, front and rear elongated slots in the side guides extending lengthwise of said side guides, securing pins in each of the side guide slots having heads riding on the side guides, said pins having heads thereon bearing on the under face of the feed tray, whereby to keep the side guides from tipping on the tray, the slots in the tray having lateral extensions all facing in one direction adjacent to but spaced from their outer ends and lateral extensions all facing in the opposite direction adjacent to but spaced from their inner ends.

5. In a duplicating machine, a feed tray, side guides seated on the tray, sheet gripping members on said side guides, front and rear transverse elongated slots in said feed tray, front and rear elongated slots in the side guides extending lengthwise of said side guides, securing pins in each of the side guide slots having heads riding on the side guides, said pins having heads thereon bearing on the under face of the feed tray, whereby to keep the side guides from tipping on the tray, and members pivoted on the outer side of said side guides between the adjacent ends of the slots therein, said members being movable into position to exert a separating pressure between the side guides and feed tray to hold the side guides in adjusted position.

6. In a duplicating machine, a feed tray, side guides seated on the tray, sheet gripping members on said side guides, front and rear transverse elongated slots in said feed tray, front and rear elongated slots in the side guides extending lengthwise of said side guides, securing pins in each of the side guide slots having heads riding on the side guides, said pins having heads thereon bearing on the under face of the feed tray, whereby to keep the side guides from tipping on the tray, and members pivoted on the outer side of said side guides between the adjacent ends of the slots therein, said members being movable into position to exert a separating pressure between the side guides and feed tray to hold the side guides in adjusted position, said side guides having thin plates fixed thereon and interposed between the pivoted members and the feed tray.

7. In a duplicating machine, a feed tray, side guides seated on the tray, sheet gripping members on said side guides, front and rear transverse elongated slots in said feed tray, front and rear elongated slots in the side guides extending lengthwise of said side guides, securing pins in each of the side guide slots having heads riding on the side guides, said pins having heads thereon bearing on the under face of the feed tray, whereby to keep the side guides from tipping on the tray, each slot in the tray having short lateral extensions spaced from the ends thereof.

8. In a duplicating machine, a feed tray, side guides seated on the tray, sheet gripping members on said side guides, front and rear transverse elongated slots in said feed tray, front and rear elongated slots in the side guides extending lengthwise of said side guides, securing pins in each of the side guide slots having heads riding on the side guides, said pins having heads thereon bearing on the under face of the feed tray, whereby to keep the side guides from tipping on the tray, releasable clamping means movably secured on the outer side of each side guide, engaging the top surface of the feed tray, stack grippers carried by said side guides and movable inwardly from the side guides against a stack of copy sheets on the tray between the side guides, spring means urging said stack grippers inwardly, stems on the grippers extending outwardly through the side guides, levers pivoted to the stems and having end portions for engaging the side guides, said levers being manually operable to retract the grippers, and means to secure the levers in gripper retracting position.

9. In a duplicating machine, a feed tray, side guides seated on the tray, sheet gripping members on said side guides, front and rear transverse elongated slots in said feed tray, front and rear elongated slots in the side guides extending lengthwise of said side guides, securing pins in each of the side guide slots having heads riding on the side guides, said pins having heads thereon bearing on the under face of the feed tray, whereby to keep the side guides from tipping on the tray, members pivoted on the outer side of said side guides between the adjacent ends of the slots therein, said members being movable into position to exert a separating pressure between the side guides and feed tray to hold the side guides in adjusted position, stack grippers carriedby said side guides and movable inwardly from the side guides against a stack of copy sheets on the tray between the side guides, spring means urging said stack grippers inwardly, stems on the grippers extending outwardly through the side guides, levers pivoted to the stems and having end portions for engaging the side guides, said levers being manually operable to retract the grippers, and means to secure the levers in gripper retracting position.

10. In a duplicating machine, a feed tray, side guides seated on the tray, sheet gripping members on said side guides, front and rear transverse elongated slots in said feed tray, front and rear elongated slots in the side guides extending lengthwise of said side guides, securing pins in each of the side guide slots having heads riding on the side guides, said pins having heads thereon bearing on the under face of the feed tray, whereby to keep the side guides from tipping on the tray, each slot in the tray having short lateral extensions spaced from the ends thereof, manually retractable spring pressed grippers on the side guides for engaging the side edges of a stack of copy sheets between the grippers, members pivoted on the outer side of said side guides between the adjacent ends of the slots therein and movable into position to exert a separating pressure between the side guides and feed tray to hold the side guides in adjusted position.

11. In a duplicating machine, a feed tray, side guides seated on the tray, sheet gripping members on said side guides, front and rear transverse elongated slots in said feed tray, front and rear elongated slots in the side guides extending lengthwise of said side guides, securing pins in each of the side guide slots having heads riding on the side guides, said pins having heads thereon bearing on the under face of the feed tray, whereby to keep the side guides from tipping on the tray, each slot in the tray having short lateral extensions spaced from the ends thereof, manually retractable spring pressed grippers on the side guides for engaging the side edges of a stack of copy sheets between the grippers, members pivoted on the outer side of said side guides between the adjacent ends of the slots therein and movable into position to exert a separating pressure between the side guides and feed tray to hold the side guides in adjusted position, said side guides having thin plates fixed thereon and interposed between the pivoted members and the feed tray.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,074,455 Pejauo Sept. 30, 1913 1,964,498 Brasseur June 26, 1934 1,974,469 Roberts Sept. 25, 1934 1,987,803 Ryan Jan. 15, 1935 2,062,643 Edmunds Dec. 1, 1936 2,093,384 Storck Sept. 14, 1937 2,197,036 Ford Apr. 16, 1940 2,226,003 Levenhagen Dec. 24, 1940 2,260,045 Morrison Oct. 21, 1941 2,266,068 Peterson Dec. 16, 1941 

